Hello all, I just recently joined this forum; however, I have been reading everyones post for several weeks now. I have driven diesels in the past through my work as a firefighter/EMT, so I am a little familiar with the general operation of these vehicles.

I just purchased a 2011 Ford F-350 Lariat with the 6.7L diesel engine and pretty well loaded across the board.

That said, this is my first "personal" diesel that I will be performing maintenance on, breaking in the engine, etc.

Does anyone have any words of wisdom as to appropriate steps to take when breaking in the engine, selecting fuel station and cetane ratings, etc.

Basically, I need advice to insure I get started on the right foot from the moment I leave the dealership. I am set to pickup the truck tomorrow evening; the dealer is supposed to insure that the diesel technician has handled any outstanding TSB's since the trucks build date was 10/12/2010. In addition, I am making them top off the urea fluid since the truck has 60 miles on it and all other fluids as well. They are also providing the first service visit with the truck, which covers the fluids, etc.

The truck is going to be used for some towing of a camping trailer; nothing too extravagant, as well as normal everyday driving and hauling of light to moderate loads. I realize this is a big truck for these tasks, but I just wanted to move into diesel for long-term durability and expandability. I have loved these trucks since I was about 12 and since we got one at the fire department a few years ago, I had to have one...

I appreciate any comments, suggestions, etc. and I look forward to being part of the PowerStroke family... Big boy toys are where its at...

only advice i could say is keep up with the servicing, don't be stupid. as for fueling stations, look for places where 18 wheelers go, its gotta be dependable for those guys to use it, i see your from new jersey i don't know if sheetz or pilot extends up that far but i've never had a issue with their fuels

only advice i could say is keep up with the servicing, don't be stupid. as for fueling stations, look for places where 18 wheelers go, its gotta be dependable for those guys to use it, i see your from new jersey i don't know if sheetz or pilot extends up that far but i've never had a issue with their fuels

Good deal and thanks for the tip. I am VERY anal-retentive (as my wife says) about vehicle maintenance. Our previous SUV, 2004 Mercury Mountaineer V8, the day it came home from the dealer, I drained all of the factory fluids and replaced them all with Mobil 1 synthetic products and continued with them at regular intervals. We still have this vehicle and it runs just like the day it was new, the vehicle now has 121,000 miles on it and has the same MPG as the original factory sticker called for 15 city and 19 highway.

I am hoping to have many, MANY good years of use with this vehicle. I have always heard diesel is the best way to go, especially for towing...

As for the location, yes I am in New Jersey, not too far from the city of Philadelphia; we do not have "Sheetz" here, but PA does out towards Harrisburg and Pilot is a bit too far to travel to. I am hoping the five local stations are reliable as well. My choices are "Exxon, Shell, Citgo, and Sunoco"... Diesel is averaging around $3.07 per gallon here at the moment, so I hope I see some fairly decent MPG's from this new Ford engine.

As far as fuel goes, if you can't get to a truck stop, buy fuel from a good clean station that you see other trucks at. The biggest factor is you want to get fuel from a place that sells a lot of diesel. You don't want your fuel sitting in the underground tanks for months on end and then getting put in to your tank with debris and water in it. If you find a station you like, buy it there every time you fill up. That way you know where you're fuel came from and who to go after if you get a bad tank.

Maintenance. At a bare minimum, just follow the manual. If you're like me, then you won't wait until the idiot light tells you to do something to do it. Drain your water separator once a month. Change your oil every 5,000 miles and fuel filters every 10,000. Most important things on a diesel is good clean fuel, and good clean oil.

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